Gate Check — Phase Transition Validation

🌱 ShiningPlague-adopted. Originally Donchitos (barebones stub); battle-tested on a shipped Godot project. Upstream was a pointer-only file; the studio version is the full implementation — parallel director dispatch, artifact completeness check, composite verdict, stage.txt write.

Validates project readiness to advance from one phase to the next by spawning 4 director agents in parallel, each reviewing from their domain. Produces a composite PASS / CONCERNS / FAIL verdict.

If an artifact named here is absent: say so plainly in one line, skip that step, and continue. Never invent the file to satisfy a checklist, and never fail a close because an optional artifact was never created.

Phases (from workflow-catalog.yaml)

Concept → Systems Design → Technical Setup → Pre-Production → Production → Polish → Release

Phase 1: Determine Target Phase

If argument provided: use it as the target phase.

If no argument: read production/stage.txt for current phase, then propose next phase from sequence. Confirm with designer.

stage.txt is seeded not-started — that is not a phase, it means no gate has ever passed here. Read it as "current phase: none" and propose concept as the target. This skill's PASS is what writes the first real phase word into the file.

Phase 2: Collect Artifacts

Read silently before presenting anything:

1. production/stage.txt — current phase
2. production/review-mode.txt — resolve review mode (full/lean/solo)
3. docs/gdd/systems-index.md — systems status overview
4. docs/architecture/tr-registry.yaml — requirement coverage
5. docs/architecture/control-manifest.md — programmer rules compliance
6. data/_schemas/system_registry.json — authoritative system states
7. Glob docs/adr/[0-9]*.md — all ADRs and statuses
8. Glob docs/gdd/*.md + {{GDD_PATH}} — all GDD artifacts
9. Glob production/sprints/sprint-*.md — sprint artifacts (if any)
10. Glob production/session-logs/playtest-*.md — playtest notes written by /qa-plan (if any)

Project path adaptations:

• ADRs at docs/adr/ (docs/architecture/ holds the blueprint + manifest, never ADRs)
• Master GDD at {{GDD_PATH}} (if not split per-system yet)
• System status from data/_schemas/system_registry.json (authoritative)
• Design specs at docs/specs/, plans at docs/plans/

Phase 3: Resolve Review Mode

Read production/review-mode.txt. Apply:

• full — spawn all 4 director gates (default)
• lean — spawn PHASE-GATEs only (this IS a phase gate, so all 4 run anyway)
• solo — skip all gates, just do artifact checks, report directly

If mode is solo: skip to Phase 5 (artifact-only check).

Phase 4: Spawn Director Gates (parallel)

Spawn ALL 4 director agents simultaneously via Agent tool. Issue all calls before waiting for any result.

Reference: .claude/docs/director-gates.md for full gate prompts.

Gate 1: CD-PHASE-GATE (creative-director)

Pass: target phase, all artifact paths, game pillars from {{GDD_PATH}} pillars section, core fantasy. Verdict: READY / CONCERNS / NOT READY

Gate 2: TD-PHASE-GATE (technical-director)

Pass: target phase, architecture doc path (if exists), engine reference, ADR list. Verdict: READY / CONCERNS / NOT READY

Gate 3: PR-PHASE-GATE (producer)

Pass: target phase, sprint/milestone artifacts, team size (solo), blocked story count. Verdict: READY / CONCERNS / NOT READY

Gate 4: AD-PHASE-GATE (art-director)

Pass: target phase, all art/visual artifacts, art bible (if exists). Verdict: READY / CONCERNS / NOT READY

Phase 5: Artifact Completeness Check

Independently of director verdicts, check the target phase's required artifacts from workflow-catalog.yaml:

For each step in target phase:

• If required: true and artifact exists: PASS
• If required: true and artifact missing: FAIL (blocker)
• If required: false and artifact missing: NOTE (optional)

Phase 6: Composite Verdict

Apply escalation rules:

• Any NOT READY / REJECT from directors → overall FAIL
• Any CONCERNS from directors → overall CONCERNS
• All READY + all required artifacts present → eligible for PASS
• One FAIL artifact check overrides all READY directors → FAIL

Present composite verdict with per-director breakdown:

## Gate Check: [Current Phase] → [Target Phase]

**Composite Verdict: [PASS / CONCERNS / FAIL]**

| Director | Verdict | Key Finding |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| Creative Director | READY | [one-line summary] |
| Technical Director | CONCERNS | [one-line summary] |
| Producer | READY | [one-line summary] |
| Art Director | NOT READY | [one-line summary] |

### Artifact Check
- [x] [required artifact] — present
- [ ] [required artifact] — MISSING (blocker)
- [-] [optional artifact] — not present (advisory)

### Director Concerns (if any)
[Full text of each CONCERNS or NOT READY verdict]

### Recommendation
[Specific next actions to address blockers or concerns]

Phase 7: Write Stage File (if PASS)

If composite verdict is PASS and designer confirms advancement:

• Write target phase name to production/stage.txt
• Note: "Phase advanced to [target phase] on [date]"

If CONCERNS and designer chooses to accept:

• Write target phase name to production/stage.txt
• Append: "Advanced with accepted concerns on [date]"

If FAIL: do NOT update stage.txt. Surface blockers for resolution.